1. PSYCHOLOGY
BIOLOGY

2. Truth or fiction?
Individual cells in the human body can be several feet long.
All behavior is governed by whether a neuron, the basic cell of the nervous system, is activated (fires).
Neurons never actually touch one another.
Strong emotions, like anger, result from more intense firing of neurons.

3. Truth or fiction?
Drugs work either to mimic or mask one of the body’s naturally occurring chemicals, called neurotransmitters.

5. Neural vs. Road Network

6. Neuron

7. Anatomy of a Neuron
Neuron-nerve cells that run through our entire bodies and are responsible for sending and receiving messages
Soma-cell body produces energy and keeps it healthy
Dendrites-receive information from other neurons; pass messages through the cell body

8. Anatomy of a Neuron Axon-carries messages away; vary in size
Myelin-white fatty substance that insulates and protects the axon; helps speed up the transmission of the message
Axon terminals-small fibers which branch out from axon
Synapse-Serves as a junction between the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron
Neurotransmitters-chemicals stored in sacs in the axon terminals

9. Sensory-Messages to the central nervous system Afferent-Sensory
Types of Neuron
Sensory-Messages to the central nervous system
Afferent-Sensory
Motor-Messages that leave the central nervous system and go to the muscles/glands
Efferent-Motor

10. Neuron Firing-Toilet (Tiny Electrical Charge)

11. Neural Communication (Action Potential)

12. Neural Communication (Refractory Period)

13. Neural Communication (Resting Potential)

14. What part of the body is responsible for all of these tasks?

15. Child’s Brain (2 lbs.)

16. Human Brain (3 -4 lbs)

17. How does the brain gain weight? (Dendrites)
Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action.
The human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself.

18. What does the brain do?
Regulates all human physiological, behavorial, and emotional functions
Brain regulates breathing even though we credit our lungs for this process
Brain regulates heartbeat

19. Ways to Investigate the Brain
Watching a person’s behavior
Electrical shock
PET (positron emission tomography) Scans
MRI
Using animals

20. http://science. education. nih

21. PET Images

22. Lower-Level (Central Core/Brainstem) (A & B on Handout) automatic survival functions
Pons – control dreaming and sleep
Thalamus – directs messages/switchboard
Medulla – heartbeat/breathing
Reticular Formation – wakefulness/arousal
Cerebellum – little brain responsible for balance

23. The Limbic System (C on Handout) (regulatory of various function)
Hippocampus – process new memories for storage
Amygdala – emotions (fear/anger)
Hypothalamus – controls eating, drinking, and body temperature

24. Cerebral Cortex (Higher cognitive and emotion functions) (D on Handout)
Longitudinal Fissure – separates the right and left hemisphere (crevice)
Corpus Callosom – neural fibers (tissue) connecting the two hemispheres and responsible for carrying messages
Frontal Lobes – making plans and judgments
Parietal Lobes – processing information
Occipital Lobes – visual processing
Temporal Lobes – auditory (hearing) areas

25. Motor Cortex Strip of tissue Rear of frontal lobe Body movement
Cross-wired
Right hemisphere = left body
Left hemisphere = right body

26. Somatosensory Cortex Front of parietal lobe Connected to motor cortex
Body sensations
Left hemisphere = stub right toe
Right hemisphere = burn left hand

27. Language Abilities
Two key language areas within the hemisphere responsible for language functions; usually left hemisphere
Wernicke’s area – role in language comprehension; might be able to speak but their speech is often meaningless
Broca’s area – frontal lobe and motor cortex controls facial expression; use simple sentences and speak slowly “speech bound by chains”

28. Left vs. Right Hemispheres
Hemispheres do not act independently of one another even though each is capable of functioning by itself
Left – Language
Right – Spatial and connections between words

29. Left vs. Right Brained

30. Left vs. Right Brained Logical Sequential Rational Analytical
Objective
Looks at parts
Random
Intuitive
Holistic
Synthesizing
Subjective
Looks at wholes

31. Brain Plasticity Most likely in children
Remove one hemisphere of the brain; fills up with cerebrospinal fluid
Neurons in one hemisphere are able to make new connections and take over many of the new functions that was once performed by the other hemisphere